Rating: 
Summary: Great Coverage
Review: A good book to read if you are interested in the Revolution in the South.
Rating: 
Summary: A useful and generally good, but flawed, work.
Review: Although the revolutionary war in the South is little discussed in textbooks or general histories, in fact it has been well covered by military historians, who recognize that the road FROM Guilford Courthouse ended at a place in Virginia called Yorktown. In this book, Mr. Buchanan does a sound, workman-like job of describing the war in the South; nor, at this point in time, should he be faulted for failing to present any genuine new material or views. Compared with other works on the subject that I have read, the book is strong on the politics behind the southern war from the rebel viewpoint, less so from the London viewpoint. (And as an aside, I hearilty approve of the author's practice of calling them rebels, which at that point is exactly what they were for better or worse). The author does a good job, too, of lacing his account with quotations from the key primary sources. It is also clear that the author personally visited the key sites, a worthy and worthwhile undertaking that too many military historians avoid. The biographies of the key leaders are also useful, but I think should have been added to the already-existing appendix rather than presented in the body of the text. This opinion leads me to the weaknesses which cause me to award only three stars. In rank order of importance, these weaknesses are (1) totally inadequate maps; (2) weak-to-poor writing style that adds many words (and thus pages) to the account unnecessarily; (3) questionable organization. Finally, I would have liked to read more about the innumerable skirmishes 'twixt Tory (or, per Mr. Buchanan, King's Friend) and rebel. Given the obvious scholarship underlying the work, it is a pity that he covers only the ones generally covered in other readily accessible accounts. Overall, these weaknesses are more keenly felt in what is essentially a synthesis of known accounts, than if new materials or views were being presented.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Read on An Important Event
Review: Buchanan's read is an interesting description on what probably the most important campaign during the Revolutionary War (at least, in my humble opinion). Indeed, the results of the campaign ultimately led Cornwallis to defeat and surrender at Yorktown.Whether describing the battle of Guilford Courthouse, Greene's and Cornwallis' march to the battle, or other events leading up to the battle, the book flowed smoothly and was able to keep my interest. The only reason I did not give the book 5 stars was the lack of maps. If the book had contained more maps I would have been able to better follow and understand the events leading up to the crucial battle of Guilford Courthouse. This minor complaint aside, I highly recommend this book as the authoritative guide on a crucial campaign that ultimately led to American victory!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read on An Important Event
Review: Buchanan's read is an interesting description on what probably the most important campaign during the Revolutionary War (at least, in my humble opinion). Indeed, the results of the campaign ultimately led Cornwallis to defeat and surrender at Yorktown. Whether describing the battle of Guilford Courthouse, Greene's and Cornwallis' march to the battle, or other events leading up to the battle, the book flowed smoothly and was able to keep my interest. The only reason I did not give the book 5 stars was the lack of maps. If the book had contained more maps I would have been able to better follow and understand the events leading up to the crucial battle of Guilford Courthouse. This minor complaint aside, I highly recommend this book as the authoritative guide on a crucial campaign that ultimately led to American victory!
Rating:
Summary: Obscure American History Brought To Life
Review: Covering ground often missed in the history books, Buchanan brings to life the characters, culture, events, and history that helped to create our great nation. His in-depth but very readable accounts give the reader insight into the pivotal choices made by key figures on both sides of the American Revolution in the South.
Rating:
Summary: Beats "The Patriot"
Review: I became interested in the Revolutionary War in the Carolinas after viewing the movie, "The Patriot". I found the cruelty by the British, that was portrayed in "The Patriot", hard to believe, so I wanted to learn more about the war in the Carolinas. This book was what I was looking for. It is well documented and the presentation and conclusions of the author make more sense than the movie--the British not as cruel and the Americans are not as innocent. It's a great history and a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: If you are interested in learning more about the War in the Carolinas get this book. The detail is terrific..along with the eye witness accounts. Compared with other offerings on this subject (I won't mention any names..like Edgar..oops) this book stands heads and shoulders above the rest. Only negative is that the maps are not very good and I had difficulty following some of the army movements.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Campaign Study
Review: If you're looking for a book on the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, this isn't it. Fewer than 25 pages are dedicated to it near the end of the book. However, this is one of the best campaign studies on Greene's southern campaigns that I have ever read. The author's treatment of the campaign as a whole is masterful, and of the Retreat to the Dan in particular, is superb. He presents to the reader what could be a very confusing chain of events, and puts them in logical order to give a sequence that is easy to follow and highly informative. This is military history at its best and it gives a more than clear picture of the campaign that led directly to Yorktown and American (and French) victory over the British. Nathaniel Greene was one of the most effective and talented commanders this country has ever produced. Never winning a battle, but always winning his campaigns, he is an American Turenne, and one of the American commanders the British feared. This volume belongs on the bookshelf of every military history enthusiast of the period.
Rating:
Summary: Buchanan Hits the Spot!
Review: In many ways I was raised to be the stereotypical southern white male amateur historian: the only war that mattered was the Civil War. The important battles were Chancellorsville & Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain & Gettysburg. The generals who mattered were R.E. Lee & Stonewall Jackson, Beauregard & A. P. Hill. All the action was in our own backyard. The American Revolution was but a footnote in our elementary and high school texts. At college in Davidson, North Carolina (where the college itself was named for a militia general, constructed on land once owned by him!), the War of Norther Aggression took top status. The Revolution was fought by a southernor, George Washington, on yankee battlefields: Lexington & Concord, Trenton & Saratoga, Valley Forge & Bunker Hill. The actions at Kings Mountain, Cowpens, and Yorktown were mere skirmishes which had little influence on the outcome of the war. I am loath to admit that Hollywood changed my perspective. After seeing Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" on opening day, a childhood interest in my ancestor, Francis Marion, was rekindled. I hastily began burying my nose in every book I could find on the subject. Now, six months and three dozen books later, I can say with conviction that if I had to pick one book as my solo source for what I could learn about the American Revolution in the south, it would be "The Road to Guilford Courthouse". Buchanan does a masterful job setting the stage. His research into the backgrounds of all the players is thorough, and his analysis fair and balanced. He understands completely the lay of the land at the time, both figuratively and literally, and he presents it well. I purchased copies of the book as Christmas gifts to my yankee in-laws, Bostonians who still think the American Revolution began and ended with Paul Revere's ride. I hope they will discover, as Buchanan so poignantly reveals, that the American Revolution was fought and won by southernors on southern soil.
Rating:
Summary: Buchanan Hits the Spot!
Review: In many ways I was raised to be the stereotypical southern white male amateur historian: the only war that mattered was the Civil War. The important battles were Chancellorsville & Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain & Gettysburg. The generals who mattered were R.E. Lee & Stonewall Jackson, Beauregard & A. P. Hill. All the action was in our own backyard. The American Revolution was but a footnote in our elementary and high school texts. At college in Davidson, North Carolina (where the college itself was named for a militia general, constructed on land once owned by him!), the War of Norther Aggression took top status. The Revolution was fought by a southernor, George Washington, on yankee battlefields: Lexington & Concord, Trenton & Saratoga, Valley Forge & Bunker Hill. The actions at Kings Mountain, Cowpens, and Yorktown were mere skirmishes which had little influence on the outcome of the war. I am loath to admit that Hollywood changed my perspective. After seeing Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" on opening day, a childhood interest in my ancestor, Francis Marion, was rekindled. I hastily began burying my nose in every book I could find on the subject. Now, six months and three dozen books later, I can say with conviction that if I had to pick one book as my solo source for what I could learn about the American Revolution in the south, it would be "The Road to Guilford Courthouse". Buchanan does a masterful job setting the stage. His research into the backgrounds of all the players is thorough, and his analysis fair and balanced. He understands completely the lay of the land at the time, both figuratively and literally, and he presents it well. I purchased copies of the book as Christmas gifts to my yankee in-laws, Bostonians who still think the American Revolution began and ended with Paul Revere's ride. I hope they will discover, as Buchanan so poignantly reveals, that the American Revolution was fought and won by southernors on southern soil.
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